Find why SimBrief INIT REQUEST is missing or greyed out in an A320 MCDU, with fixes for Fenix, FlyByWire and other Airbus add-ons.
The SimBrief INIT REQUEST is unavailable when the A320 add-on does not support flight-plan uplink, the MCDU is on the wrong page or past the initialisation stage, or SimBrief has not been configured correctly. Generate a fresh operational flight plan, set the correct SimBrief ID, then retry from INIT A before entering the route manually.
What does INIT REQUEST actually do?
INIT REQUEST asks a simulated airline datalink system to retrieve flight data and insert it into the Flight Management and Guidance System. SimBrief is not a standard feature built into every simulated Airbus or every simulator.
Across Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX, each A320 developer decides whether to model this uplink, where account details are entered and which data it imports. Some aircraft use INIT REQUEST on the MCDU INIT A page; others require an EFB command such as sending the route to the avionics. Basic or older A320 models may offer manual entry only.
The real A320 also does not have a universal “SimBrief button”. Operators use airline-specific AOC and datalink systems, which add-ons reproduce to different levels of detail.
Why is INIT REQUEST missing or not working?
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| INIT REQUEST never appears | The aircraft does not support SimBrief uplink, or it uses a different import method | Check the add-on’s EFB and MCDU features rather than assuming every A320 works alike |
| The prompt appeared, then disappeared | FROM/TO or another flight plan has already been inserted | Return to a clean INIT A state or continue entering the existing route manually |
| REQUEST FAILED, NOT ALLOWED or no response | Incorrect account identifier, no generated OFP, lost online connection or incomplete aircraft start-up | Verify the identifier, generate a fresh OFP and allow the avionics to finish loading |
| The EFB has the plan but the MCDU is empty | The EFB and FMGS imports are separate | Use the aircraft’s send-to-avionics command or make the MCDU request separately |
| Only part of the route loads | Navdata differences, unsupported procedures or route parsing | Review discontinuities and enter rejected fixes or procedures manually |
How do you restore the SimBrief INIT REQUEST?
- Confirm that the exact A320 supports it. Do not rely on instructions written for another developer’s aircraft. A default A320, Fenix A320 and FlyByWire A32NX can have entirely different import workflows.
- Power and initialise the aircraft. Give the EFB, MCDUs and communications functions time to start. Attempting an uplink while displays are still booting can produce no response even though the account setup is correct.
- Open INIT A. Make sure you are not on INIT B, a secondary flight-plan page or another MCDU menu. Many implementations expose the prompt only on a clean INIT A page.
- Generate a new SimBrief OFP. Saving or editing a dispatch does not always make it the latest retrievable plan; it must be generated. The uplink normally fetches the most recently generated plan associated with the configured account.
- Check the account identifier. Enter the SimBrief username or numerical Pilot ID requested by that particular add-on. These fields are not interchangeable in every implementation, and a display name or email address may be rejected.
- Request the plan before manual route entry. Entering FROM/TO, a company route or a World Map flight plan first can suppress the prompt or make the uplink conflict with data already in the FMGS.
- Wait for the reply. The request may be asynchronous. Repeatedly pressing the line-select key can queue another attempt rather than accelerate the first one.
If a Fenix aircraft still refuses the request, use our Fenix-specific checks for failed INIT requests. They cover stale OFPs, identification errors, aircraft power and INIT A state.
For the FlyByWire A32NX, follow the correct SimBrief account and import setup. Configuration intended for one Airbus add-on does not automatically carry into another.
Why can the EFB see the plan when the MCDU cannot?
An EFB import proves only that the tablet can retrieve the OFP; it does not prove that the FMGS has received the route. The tablet may use SimBrief for fuel, loading, weather and charts while the MCDU maintains a separate connection or import queue.
Use the aircraft’s explicit “send to avionics” function where one is provided. In the A32NX, our explanation of how the flyPad passes data to the aircraft clarifies the difference between viewing an OFP and loading its route.
Does a navdata mismatch remove INIT REQUEST?
A navdata mismatch does not normally make the INIT REQUEST prompt disappear. It tends to cause the next problem: rejected airways, missing waypoints, different procedure names or discontinuities after the plan arrives.
A wrong SimBrief aircraft profile can likewise produce unsuitable weights, fuel figures or performance data without hiding the prompt. Diagnose an absent button as an aircraft capability or MCDU-state problem first; diagnose a failed retrieval as an account, OFP or connection problem.
What if the add-on has no SimBrief uplink?
Use the EFB import method offered by the aircraft, load a supported company-route format, or enter the route manually. Our A320 MCDU programming procedure covers FROM/TO, flight number, cost index, cruise level and route entry when INIT REQUEST is unavailable by design.
Avoid reinstalling the simulator or deleting configuration folders merely because the prompt is absent. First establish whether that exact aircraft and version models the function; if it does not, no SimBrief account change will make INIT REQUEST appear.